FACING GIANTS

In their conquest of Canaan, Israel had to face some giants. They were first encountered when the spies were sent into the land. “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33). They were big and probably frightening. However, they did not stop Joshua and the people from securing the promised land. God is faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13), and He had promised a land to the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 12:1). That promise is fulfilled in the book of Joshua, even in the face of the giants. “And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war” (Joshua 11:21-23). The Israelites had to face giants in their day.

We face giants today. The Israelites faced giants in physical warfare. Our giants are faced in spiritual warfare. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). This is why Paul instructs us to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

There is a war going on! It is not a battle for oil, or land, or resources, or political freedom. It is a war for spiritual freedom, for the souls of men, women, and children throughout the world. It is a war between good and evil. God is the commander of the armies of righteousness and Satan commands the armies of the wicked. Satan has many giants in his army. They may appear indestructible. It may seem there is no way to defeat them. By ourselves, they are indestructible and undefeatable. With God on our side, they do not stand a chance. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Over the next few weeks, we want to identify some of Satan’s giants we face in everyday Christian life and how we can defeat them.
--Lamar